Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World film review

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MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD

Russell Crowe has probably made the smartest choices of any actor in Hollywood in the last five years. After bursting on the scene as the tough detective in L.A. Confidential, he was unrecognisable in The Insider, achieved world domination in Gladiator, and again went against type in A Beautiful Mind. Crowe clearly picks his parts with great care and his new film may be his biggest gamble yet.

Broadly based on the tenth Patrick O' Brian sea-faring novel, Crowe plays Lucky Jack Aubrey, Captain of the HMS Surprise which in 1805 at the height of the Napoleonic wars was sent to intercept and destroy the French boat Acheron. It's another powerful performance from Crowe, who dominates the screen portraying a Captain who is hugely respected by his crew, has the necessary acumen to outwit most of his enemies, and yet is self-deprecating and constantly aware of his own weaknesses.

While it is the impressive action sequences that will grab the publicity for this film - the level of realism in the sea battles is arguably better than ever put on screen - director Peter Weir has plenty of time for character development. In fact, the main criticism of the film is that there may be too much time devoted to this, which may ultimately hurt the film's commercial appeal. Be warned: the action and adventure scenes in this film are intermittent, and there are long periods when it's a simple tale of sea life.

Many will find this very appealing: although O'Brian was not a hugely well-known writer, those in the know adored his work, and it's clear to see why. He paints a complete picture of life on the waves, and Weir (whose eclectic career has included Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Truman Show) faithfully devotes plenty of time to the intricate relationships and the various hierarchies amongst the crew.

Chief among these is Aubrey's relationship with the ship's Doctor Maturin (Paul Bettany). These men told bad jokes together, played music together and while they may have had differences of opinion on the Captain's tactics, they had a mutual respect bordering on a sense of love for one another. This is brilliantly evoked by the two actors, and their scenes together are one of the highlights. Bettany and Crowe are of course pals from their time together on A Beautiful Mind.